16237              APICAL BRONCHIECTASIS

This patient was a hypertensive woman aged 78 who had been treated for episodes of giddiness for a year.  X-ray showed fibrosis and infiltration of the left apex with numerous cavities, but bacteriological examination of the sputum showed no pathogens and acid fast bacilli were not present.  She died of congestive cardiac failure.

The specimen is of the right lung sectioned to show replacement of the upper lobe by marked saccular dilatation of the bronchi leaving only thin intervening fibrous septa in which no normal lung substance remains.  The overlying pleura is thickened and fibrous and remnants of adhesions are visible.  The lower lobe shows some compensatory dilatation.  Histology confirmed saccular bronchiectasis.